For many people, ‘outdoor education’ conjures up images of school camping trips, petting zoos and excursions into the countryside.
But the reality is that outdoor education doesn’t only involve structured activities outside. It starts as soon as a child is born when they are gently exposed to the outdoors and it continues throughout life as people experience the magic of Mother Nature and all the lessons she can teach us.
This article discusses why outdoor education is so important in early childhood and how it provides a vital platform for young children to discover the world, develop vital skills and learn about themselves.
The following explanation from Outdoor Education Australia provides a good summary of what outdoor education involves and why it’s so valuable:
‘Outdoor education provides opportunities to develop positive relationships with the environment, others and ourselves through interaction with the natural world. These relationships are essential for the wellbeing and sustainability of individuals, society and our environment.’
‘Fresh air’ experiences and interactions enrich and extend a child’s growth and development in many different areas including their physical, cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing.
Young children are naturally curious and creative and they absorb information like sponges. When they’re playing outside - be it messing about with sand and water, crunching through fallen autumn leaves, observing birds, finding shapes in the clouds, standing in the rain, pulling flower petals apart, climbing a tree or feeding an animal - they’re developing important skills and learning about the world, about others and how they fit into the world.
The early years are widely acknowledged as the most important for learning.
It’s the time when a young brain develops the fastest and when the foundations for the future are laid. Positive experiences that a child has during this time have a major influence on the outcome of their lives in terms of their mental and physical health, their cognitive, social and communication skills and their ability to be meaningful contributors to society.
Now this may all seem like a far cry from a simple walk in the woods or watching a spider weave a web, but the fact is that when children connect with nature and get active outdoors, they’re putting building blocks in place for a successful future and a lifelong love of learning.
Experts agree that spending time outdoors can have a positive impact on a child’s mental and physical health - and it’s especially important in this increasingly digitised ‘screen age’ to encourage and promote outdoor activities from early on.
Some of the key benefits of outdoor education in early childhood are:
Running, jumping, climbing, skipping, chasing and balancing are important activities that help to keep children fit, strong and healthy and which also aid muscle development and bone density. Spending time outdoors in their early years directly can also help with young children’s stability, dexterity, fine motor skills as well as lead to improved coordination.
The opportunities for exploration and discovery in the great outdoors are endless. Children have different interests and in nature, there’s always something going on or something new to see which will engage, absorb and stimulate them.
Outdoor and indoor education complement one another and many of the concepts that young children learn about in the classroom are echoed in an outdoor setting. Concepts like shapes, colours, numbers and temperature can all be reinforced when a young child explores the outdoor world - plus skills like problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration and consideration for others are also given a boost.
Being physical outdoors releases chemicals into the brain which can help children regulate their emotions. This can help to calm them down, boost their self-esteem and help them face challenges more readily.
When young children play outside in less confined spaces, they have the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild and explore ways of interacting with others and building relationships. This can assist with the development of a range of emotional and social skills like empathy, conflict resolution, sharing, taking turns, listening to others, solving problems etc.
Outdoor play also introduces young children to new situations. This encourages them to try new things, test their abilities and learn new skills which in turn helps them become more resilient, more confident, more self-aware and more independent.
Sunlight is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D which is crucial for the healthy development of bones, muscles and teeth as well as for strengthening the body’s immune system. Vitamin D also increases the body’s production of serotonin which can lead to improved memory and concentration - so it makes sense for young children to spend time outdoors (but always remember the sunscreen!).
Allowing children playtime outside helps them burn energy and let off steam which can improve their ability to concentrate.
Crunching a dried leaf, squishing mud, snapping a twig, smelling a flower, feeling rough bark and tasting a rain drop are all ways that young children can use their senses to discover sensory information in the outdoors.
Outdoor play and fun experiences outside help young children develop an awareness for the natural environment. This deeper connection hopefully sets the path for a greater appreciation of the natural world, the importance of sustainability and the need to protect the planet’s future.
Of course, outdoor play should be just a part of the overall play environment. You can find out more in our article "Why Natural Play Environments Are So Crucial For Children"
This article has touched on some of the benefits of outdoor education in early childhood, but there’s so much more to it. It’s essential for healthy growth and development, and even when a child looks like they are simply ‘messing about having fun outside’, they’re constantly learning about themselves, about the world and about others. We’d love an opportunity to show you how outdoor education is incorporated into the daily curriculum at Evoke Early Learning and we invite you to book a tour of our childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park. Hope to see you soon!
Language has a strong influence on how a child feels about themselves and when it’s used effectively and positively, it can be an extraordinarily powerful force for good.
The way we speak to young children during their formative years - both at home and at in early education environments - impacts their sense of self. And when we use positive language in both the spoken word and in our body language when communicating with little people, we boost their self-esteem, help them feel more sure of themselves, more optimistic and more confident about their place in the world.
If ‘no’, ‘don’t’ and ‘stop’ are part of your everyday vocab, this article on the benefits of positive language for a child’s self-perception is worth a read. Because positive language is a skill that can be learned. You CAN modify the way you speak to children and you CAN use your voice to help them feel good about themselves.
There’s no doubt that mental health is becoming an increasingly hot topic and even very young children can have mental health problems. Children with a low self-esteem can take their negativity into adulthood which can lead to bigger issues down the line, so it’s vital to engender positive feelings as early on as possible.
Let’s look at a couple of scenarios which highlight the stark difference between positive and negative language.
‘Stop running down the stairs, you’ll fall’
vs
‘I see you’ve remembered to walk down the stairs instead of running. Good on you!’
‘Don’t draw on the table’
vs
‘Crayons are for colouring in on the paper. I see you are trying hard to do that’
‘No, you can’t start a new game now. It’s bedtime’.
vs
‘The game you want to play is a great idea. We can play it tomorrow when there’s more time.’
Here are some of the ways that positive language can influence a child’s self-perception.
Be calm and clear and give the child time to respond.
A toddler or young child can easily become overwhelmed, confused or frustrated when they are given too much information or an overload of requests or commands. Talk calmly at the child’s level, make eye contact and take a few deep breaths to allow them time to react or respond.
Turn negatives into positives by asking questions.
Instead of telling a child not to do something, invite them to make a different choice or find a solution. Questions like ‘What would happen if…’ or ‘Why don’t you try …’ or ‘How about doing…’. Slight modifications to the way you communicate or respond to a child’s actions can be the difference between an escalated conflict situation where everyone feels bad or a scenario where the child finds a solution and solves a problem.
The use of ‘I’ language can help encourage positive behaviours.
‘I like the way you help me tidy the toys’, ‘I feel happy when you get ready for bed without a fuss’. Positive affirmations are powerful and help shape better behaviours in children and a stronger sense of self.
Give the child specific requests and offer them choices when appropriate.
They’re more likely to comply when they’re given choices (keep them simple and relatively benign!) and will feel good about themselves because they feel in control. This will boost their self-esteem and encourage them to make appropriate choices on their own as they get older.
Offer meaningful compliments.
Praise and encouragement are a crucial element of positive language, but it is important to give compliments with substance. ‘I liked how you shared your toys with Joe, I could see you were being kind’. ‘I love how you’ve used so many different colours to make that beautiful picture’. ‘You chose the right size blocks to build the tower’. This shows that you believe in the child and in their ability to make good choices.
Use language to give the child a sense of responsibility.
‘Please hold your little brother’s hand as we cross this busy road’ and ‘Please explain to your friends how we gently take care of our puppy’ are examples of how to use positive language to help children feel responsible and valued.
Remember that language is both verbal and non-verbal.
The way we communicate is just as important as what we say. Being mindful of our tone, volume and body language is crucial to keeping things positive. We recommend finding out more about Supporting Your Child's Language Development.
Children who feel respected and valued are more likely to treat others in the same way and are likely to take those attitudes into adulthood.
In the same way that negative language can have a detrimental effect that endures over the long-term, positive language can have a powerful and lasting impact on people’s self-esteem and sense of worth.
When we make a conscious effort to use optimistic language with children - not on an ad hoc basis, but as a way of life at home or at school - we can have a significant influence on their feelings of self-worth.
Positive language:
Whether at home or in a childcare or early education environment, children benefit hugely from the power of positivity. Language is one of the strongest influencers on the way children perceive themselves and when we make a concerted effort to communicate positively with them, we can empower them for life.
To find out more about using positive language to boost self-esteem then book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park. Our friendly and professional team has all the information you need to make a well-considered decision and we look forward to meeting you.
‘To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more’ (World Health Organisation)
This is a view shared by researchers, education experts and parents all over the world as our society becomes increasingly digitised and communication and entertainment comes from sedentary interaction with a screen.
But experts also agree that not all play is equal.
We need to replace our children’s screen time with green time.
Imagine an outdoor playground which features trees, shrubs, logs, stones, sand, seed pods and other elements of the natural world. There are so many opportunities to see, feel and smell different things – and as the natural environment is always changing (leaves drop in winter, sand turns to mud when wet, flowers become seed pods), it offers up a never-ending kaleidoscope of experiences. Birds, insects and other wildlife are an added attraction.
But natural play environments offer far more than just exciting experiences.
Natural play environments support children’s healthy growth and development by providing a diverse range of opportunities for them to develop important life skills. A child interacts with the natural environment using all of their senses, leading to improved outcomes in many different areas including physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.
‘In an increasingly sedentary world, unstructured, active, outdoor play (nature play) is an essential building block of physical, social, and emotional health, and the primary way through which children develop the skills, confidences, and competencies that support being active and connected for life. It is also an important way children explore culture and relationships and develop a connection to place/nature/country’. (NaturePlayWA)
Play-based learning is widely accepted as the ideal way for young children to explore, discover and make sense of the world around them and of their place in it. For example, learning through play is the core of the Reggio Emilia approach which has child-directed creativity, exploration and understanding as its key focus.
And when play takes place in environments which have an abundance of natural resources, it leads to numerous benefits.
These environments can be indoors as well as outdoors, as long as they include natural features. There are many ways that educators and parents can do this, such as having pot plants and tubs for growing plants indoors and providing loose parts and materials for imaginative play such as small branches, gum nuts, seed pods, pinecones, leaves, pebbles and bark.
Natural play environments enable diverse experiences for:
Children use all their senses when they play in natural environments and with loose parts which come from nature. The complex shapes, colours, textures, smells and sounds found in nature provide infinite opportunities for children to explore, discover and create.
On their own or with others, young children will pick up items, manoeuvre them around, construct and deconstruct things, climb on or up logs and trees, balance on tree stumps – all the while improving their fine and gross motor skills and their hand-eye co-ordination.
They can strengthen their cognitive skills including numeracy and problem-solving by sorting these loose parts, counting them and working out how to piece them together or why they exist in the first place.
Nature-based environments are wonderful for supporting their natural creativity, curiosity and inventiveness. A fallen log could become a pirate ship. Gum nuts could be money. Bark, sand and leaves could be ingredients for baking a cake.
When children play together, they develop communication and language skills as well as crucial social and emotional skills. They learn about negotiation, sharing, collaboration, responsibility and empathy – and with careful guidance and encouragement from the adults around them, children can start to develop a respect for the natural environment and sustainability.
An extensive body of research tells us that open-ended nature play provides multiple benefits for children. These include the development of their:
Nature play also provides children with a sense of freedom to explore and discover and to take safe risks. It supports their mental health and overall wellbeing and it builds their self-confidence and sense of self and place.
Physically opening the door and enabling our children to connect with nature will open the door metaphorically to healthier, happier and more engaged lives as they grow older.
You can find out more in our other article called "Why Outdoor Education Matters In Early Childhood". We would love to chat more with you about this so why not book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park.
Tracey Davey - Operations Manager Evoke Early Learning
Tracey is a passionate and talented leader at Evoke Early Learning who ensures that relationships, projects, systems and processes are designed, implemented and evaluated to support the efficient operational delivery of the service. Tracey coordinates and leads working groups in all activities necessary for the successful development, implementation, and completion of special projects. Tracey has a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, as well as dual VIT registration as an Early Childhood Teacher and Primary Teacher. She is also a VIT Trained Mentor Teacher.
Language and literacy development is a vital aspect of child development and there are many things that parents, caregivers and early childhood educators can do to support and encourage young children in this area.
This article will be useful to anyone wanting more information on how they can support babies and young children with early language development.
When a young child starts to understand, use and enjoy language, they’re taking a major step towards literacy and their ability to read and write. But language development is more than just sounds and words. In addition to supporting literacy development, language development supports many other crucial areas including cognitive and social skills.
Language development is powerful because it helps a child:
Oral language skills that are learnt from a very early age set the foundation for the development of a range of skills which continues throughout childhood through adolescence and beyond. In fact, we never stop learning language and literacy skills - especially if reading is part of our everyday lives.
We’ll talk more about reading a little later in the article, but for now, let’s look at ways of encouraging your little one’s language development.
The best ways to help a young child with language skills are by talking and reading to - and with -them.
Ongoing verbal communication with a young child is essential - and it should start from the minute they are born. Imitate the sounds they make. Babble and coo back to them. Use facial expressions and hand gestures to add depth to your communication. Also talk to them using simple words and sentences - and repeat these often. For example, you might say ‘Mummy’s here’, ‘time for a bottle’, ‘let’s change your nappy’, ‘say hello to the doggy’ etc.
Using the same words in different contexts is another good way to help your child learn how words work.
As the child gets older, they will start to say words and experiment with sentence construction. By responding to the child, repeating what they’ve said and building on it, parents and educators play a vital role in encouraging them to continue communicating and developing their language skills.
Ask questions. Probe for information and give them longer responses for words they say. For example, if your toddler says ‘cup’, you can ask ‘do you want some water in the cup?’. If they say ‘bird’, you can say ‘look at the bird flying’. This will help them expand their vocabulary.
Just as it’s never too early to talk to your child, it’s never too early to read to them.
Books are a great way of demonstrating the link between oral language and the written word. Reading helps children learn that words are part of language, it introduces a variety of topics and helps them associate different words with pictures.
These are essential building blocks for developing literacy skills.
A book before bed time is a great routine to establish early on and is a good way of encouraging young children to develop their language and literacy skills.
Every child is unique and here at Evoke Early Learning, we understand that everyone learns and develops at their own pace.
That said, you may find the following timeline for language milestones helpful.
Babies start to gurgle and coo. Smiling generally starts around the six-week mark.
Babies start babbling and repeat monosyllabic sounds like da, da, da.
Babies start making unintelligible ‘speech’. They generally say their first recognisable words at around the one-year mark.
During this time, babies start to say words with meaning and their vocabularies grow. Remember, they understand far more than they say, so keep talking and reading - using proper sentences!
You will probably hear ‘sentences’ of two or three words at this stage and their pronunciation of words will improve. Your child will be able to follow simple instructions and they’ll understand what you are saying. You’ll also be able to make sense of their speech.
Children generally start constructing sentences containing three to four words during this timeframe and a stranger is likely to understand what they’re saying.
Professionally trained educators know that a strong foundation in the early years is critical for literacy and language development. Quality childcare and early learning centres will integrate and encourage books and reading into their daily curriculum and will work in tandem with parents and caregivers to give little ones the very best start in life.
Literacy and language have a significant impact and influence on a range of other life skills including cognitive and communication abilities and by putting strong building blocks in place early on, you are giving your child the best chance of healthy growth and development.
In fact, when you’re investigating childcare options, it’s a really good idea to discuss how the various centres approach literacy and language development. At our Evoke Early Learning Centres in Albert Park and Clayton, we advocate for the rights of all children, valuing and embracing each and every child as a unique individual and respecting children as active members of society. Our centres are welcoming and nurturing spaces, full of warmth, love and respect which encourage healthy relationships, strong communication, respectful collaboration and exploration through play. Book your tour today.
Every parent wants the best for their child and wants to see them grow into happy, well-adjusted, engaged and fulfilled adults.
The foundation for a promising future starts from the day they are born with the choice of childcare playing a foundational role in their lifelong success.
The simple fact is - high quality childcare matters for a child’s healthy development.
There’s a large body of evidence that demonstrates the positive link between the quality of childcare and a variety of positive outcomes for children as they progress through life.
For example, research done by the University of Melbourne found that children who attended preschool were up to five months ahead of their peers in critical disciplines midway through primary school. Another recent study demonstrated that high-quality early care increased children’s school readiness and that sustained access (ie several years) to early education was critical in predicting long-term outcomes.
The study found that the children’s learning was boosted because of rich and diverse experiences provided in the classrooms and that success depended on the children having many different opportunities to play and engage in hands-on exploration.
Researchers have established that higher quality childcare is associated with:
A child’s brain grows and develops rapidly during the early years. It doubles in size in the child’s first year, grows to around 80% of adult size by the age of three and is nearly full-grown (90%) by the time the child is five years old.
Brain development is based on the child’s experiences and there is no doubt that children who come from loving, stimulating and nurturing homes and who attend high-quality childcare and early education centres are more likely to have positive experiences. These put in place essential building blocks for the development of a range of cognitive, emotional, social and physical skills and enable immature brains to develop to the fullest.
Not all childcare centres are the same - and even those that purport to provide high quality care can vary significantly in their offering.
If you want the best possible start for your child, here are some of the essential ‘must-haves’ of a high-quality childcare centre:
At Evoke Early Learning, our centres are inspired by the globally acclaimed Reggio Emilia philosophy. It’s a proven child-centric educational approach which encompasses all of the above components in the 12 Reggio Emilia principles.
Childcare plays a valuable and important role in a child’s healthy growth and development.
The benefits of quality childcare are significant and include better intellectual, social and emotional development. Positive experiences in childcare also enhance a child’s readiness for school and are likely to result in greater independence, resilience, awareness and confidence.
If you’re considering childcare options in Perth for your little one, we warmly invite you to book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park and experience our unique brand of high-quality childcare for children aged from 0 - 5 years. We look forward to meeting you!
Did you know that there can be significant advantages to a child learning a second language at an early age?
Learning a foreign language opens up a world of cognitive and social benefits for a child which can continue throughout their lives. And while many adults may struggle to grasp a new language, it’s surprisingly easy for young children.
The benefits to bilingual children include:
Children’s brains are at their most flexible between the ages of 0-5 and up until the age of eight, their ear and speech muscles are at their most flexible too, making the early years an ideal time for them to learn a second language.
Young children are also like sponges, soaking up information and mimicking what they see and hear. This cognitive flexibility and the ability to absorb new information subconsciously is the perfect platform for young children to master a language other than their mother tongue.
And this isn’t just hearsay. There is plenty of science behind early bilingual education for children, including a study by the Cornell Language Acquisition Lab (CLAL) which revealed that children who learned a second language maintained focus better than monolingual children in the face of external distractions. This ability to ‘tune out’ is a really important skill and can be a significant contributor to children’s academic achievement.
Another reason why young children pick up a second language so easily is that they aren’t hindered by the fear of making a mistake or mispronouncing words in the way that an older child or adult might be. They learn with impunity.
Let’s look at the direct correlation of learning a second language at an early age and a child’s all-round healthy growth and development.
When a young child is learning multiple languages, these ‘compete’ for attention within a child’s brain. The child’s brain has to learn to resolve this internal conflict, switch from one language to another, learn how to prioritise information and ignore distractions. By exercising the part of the brain that is responsible for selective cognitive processes, the child is able to improve their ability to focus and concentrate - even when there’s lots of stimuli going on around them.
Cognitive skills are the core skills that your brain uses to think, read, learn, remember, reason and pay attention. Cognitive development is vital for a child’s academic achievement which is why learning a second language can be beneficial. It helps boost their memory, concentration and listening skills, while also improving their ability to multitask, plan, think critically and solve complex problems.
When a child is exposed to another language, they’re also introduced to a different culture. This helps them to see the world from different perspectives and instils a more positive, more tolerant and more empathetic approach to our diverse society.
Children are born with an innate sense of curiosity and learning another language opens up a world of opportunity for them to explore and discover new things about the world they’re in. You might be interested in this article on the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy which discusses how this approach nurtures and feeds this natural desire to learn.
Foreign language learning also increases a young child’s creativity and ability to solve problems. When they’re learning a new language - or trying to master a number of languages simultaneously - their brains experience a constant workout.
If you’re a single language home, don’t think that your young child can’t become bilingual. It is very possible for children to learn an additional language outside of the home as long as they are given plenty of support and encouragement and have frequent opportunities to engage with, and experience, the language being learnt.
While it’s never too late to learn a new language, the earlier someone starts, the better.
All the extra work that the young brain does to learn a new language has benefits far beyond just linguistic ability. Learning a new language helps with all-round cognitive and social development which is why it can put your child at a significant advantage in the critical early years as well as later on in life. If you’re looking for high-quality early education for your little one which focuses on promoting knowledge and inspiring a life-long love of learning in a safe and nurturing environment, we invite you to have a chat with our friendly team or book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park.
Every child has an innate sense of curiosity. They’re born with it. Curiosity is what drives their desire to discover the world around them, to make sense of the uncertain and to learn and to grow. And parents can play a really important role and supporting their children in their enquiries and explorations.
By fostering a child’s intellectual curiosity, we nurture the joy of discovery.
So how can parents help nurture this natural instinct? What can we do to encourage and strengthen the child’s desire to solve life’s everyday mysteries? How can we help instil a love of learning that endures before school, through school and beyond?
Yes, this can be challenging because kids ask A LOT of questions (some studies show that four-year-olds can ask up to 300 questions a day!), but questions are at the heart of discovery, so parents need to feed their child’s inquisitive desire.
Our job is to help children learn how to ask more questions as opposed to simply providing answers. Children practice their investigative skills by asking questions, so when you’re answering one of their questions, try to phrase your responses in ways that prompt further query and discovery. While there are obviously questions that require definitive answers (“what time is supper?”), your answers should lead to them asking further questions so that they learn to persevere to find answers or solutions.
Be curious yourself. Children learn by watching and mirroring your behaviour and your responses, so show your enthusiasm for the world around you and demonstrate how you use all of your senses to find answers or information.
It’s really important to show genuine interest in a child’s questions and not to simply fob them off or diminish them. Curiosity drives self-directed learning and by celebrating the child’s questioning, we can encourage a lifelong love of learning.
Let your child hear you express your own musings about the world by asking questions with words like ‘I wonder who, what, when, where, why and how’.
Adults naturally want to smooth the child’s passage through life and show them what to do and what not to do. Of course, there are situations where this approach is necessary, but it’s also really important to resist the urge to demonstrate and to rather let the child make mistakes. They learn by doing. Taking risks is an expression of their curiosity and provided that the path of discovery doesn’t put them in any danger, parents should let them simply ‘be’.
Take your children to as many different places as possible - the beach, the airport, the bakery, the train station, the museum, even a visit to your local park can be a voyage of discovery. Think fallen leaves (‘why do you think these leaves are on the ground?’), insects hiding behind a piece of bark (‘what do you think the insect is doing there?’), the wonder of sunlight streaming through foliage and so on.
Go camping, fishing and swimming together. Go on outings to the zoo, to a petting farm, horse stables, you can go just about anywhere and discover new things together by using all of your senses.
Bake cookies together. Plant seeds. Water the garden. Sweep leaves. Go for a walk in the neighbourhood. Wash the dog. Get messy with mud. Shared activities are a great way to encourage them to explore new areas of enquiry and knowledge. Something as simple as involving children in preparing lunch helps them explore and experiment. Find out more here: "Teaching Children about Nutrition"
Bringing something novel to an everyday event (putting music on during a meal or putting food colouring in the mashed potato) or mixing up a daily routine can stimulate their minds in a fun and positive way.
A cardboard box, a cup of water and some sand, a piece of string and some toilet roll inners can all be prompts for children to experiment and use their imaginations to explore different avenues for play. This article on how play-based learning benefits children is a helpful read for parents.
Encouraging curiosity in children will set them on a path to become engaged, happier, more resourceful and more fulfilled adults. It sets them on a path of a lifelong love of learning and as parents, this is one of the greatest gifts we can hope to give our children. Our play-based environment at Evoke Early Learning builds our little learners’ confidence, creativity and curiosity and energises them to explore and discover the world around them. We have several centres across Victoria, and we would welcome an opportunity to introduce our safe, happy and nurturing environment to you. You’re welcome to book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park.
If your child already attends a childcare centre or if you’re planning to enrol them in the future, then you may have come across the Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
If you’re interested in finding out more about it, this article takes a look at the EYLF and the key role it plays in your child’s growth and development.
Early childhood is a critical foundation period for a child to start establishing a positive self-esteem, resilience and a capacity to learn and it is during this time that the wheels are set in motion for a child’s lifelong success in areas such as health, education and employment.
The EYLF was developed by the Council of Australian Government as part of its reforms to early childhood education on the back of overwhelming evidence to support the above ie. that quality care and learning experiences in a child’s early years lead to better outcomes later in life. Its vision is for all children to experience play-based learning that is engaged and which builds success for life.
The five learning outcomes that the framework support are:
Although the EYLF is a requirement in all early childhood education and care settings across the country, it wasn’t developed as a rigid blueprint. Instead, it offers a holistic guide to support educators and caregivers to develop quality programmes and environments.
It’s essentially a way of ensuring that children aged 0-5 in all early childhood education and care settings across Australia experience quality teaching and learning.
The Evoke Early Learning Centres philosophy, applies the principles of the EYLF into our daily curriculum to support the children’s natural curiosity and desire to discover their world and to instil positive lifelong habits.
The EYLF describes childhood as a time of belonging, being and becoming.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these pillars and how the early education experience impacts on them.
The key to belonging is relationships.
A child needs to feel a sense of belonging and of acceptance. This emotional support comes from their relationships with their family, other caregivers, their culture and their community and when children feel welcome, nurtured and loved in a safe, secure space, they become more engaged learners.
When a child is valued and ‘seen’, that sense of belonging is strengthened and they are more likely to explore new ideas and try new things.
Belonging makes it possible for young children to ‘be’ and ‘become’.
The EYLF recognises the child’s right to be who they are, with the freedom to explore, discover and find meaning in the world around them and also within themselves. In order to help little people to start developing a sense of self, early childhood environments need to show them that they are truly valued. Letting a child simply ‘be’ shows respect and love and gives them the affirmation they need.
The EYLF acknowledges that children learn and grow through their experiences. They start to form their sense of identify from a very young age and the type of experiences they have shape the type of adult they will become.
Childcare and early education environments need to provide a platform for positive experiences where children feel loved, valued and respected. They’ll feel more confident and secure and will have a better chance of growing into well-adjusted adults with a strong sense of identity.
The structure of the framework has three key elements, namely Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes (which were outlined at the beginning of this article).
These help educators to create curricula and environments that build on each child’s unique interests and abilities and guide their interactions with the children, their families and the community.
The practices outlined in the EYLF describe the most effective way for early childhood professionals to work with children and their families to promote learning and to progress towards the stated outcomes. These eight practices are:
Our high-quality educational programmes at Evoke Early Learning integrate the ELYF as well as other proven strategies into daily life at our centres to give the children in our care the very best start in life. You can learn more about our curriculum here. We welcome you to book a tour of our early learning centres in Clayton or Albert Park to experience how passionate we are that our children feel supported to ‘belong, be and become.’
We would love to show you around one of our Evoke Early Learning centres so why not book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park?
The well-known poem, ‘100 Languages of Children’ penned by Loris Malaguzzi, founder of Reggio Emilia, encapsulates what this acclaimed approach to early education represents.
‘The child has
A hundred languages
A hundred hands
A hundred thoughts
A hundred ways of thinking
Of playing, of speaking.’
Malaguzzi believed that every child is a competent, capable and creative thinker with infinite potential. The child’s innate curiosity and wonder drives their desire to discover the world
He believed that children expressed themselves creatively in a multitude of ways and that there were infinite possibilities for them to communicate and learn.
But his poem isn’t about a child’s verbal language skills.
The ‘100 languages’ are symbolic of the multi-faceted ways that children depict their understanding of the world. The possibilities are endless. Drawing, painting, writing, sculpting, building, climbing, dancing, singing, pretend playing, crying, imagining and laughing are all examples of ‘languages’ of self-expression which children use on their wondrous voyages of discovery.
In Reggio Emilia, each of these modes of expression is valued and nurtured. As children play and explore ideas, their various ‘languages’ intersect and integrate, building a deeper understanding of the world.
‘They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine’
Who exactly are ‘they’?
To understand this verse, we need to look at how traditional or mainstream schools differ from those that are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education.
Traditional education methods follow a fixed curriculum which has set outcomes. Children learn by rote and by instruction from the teacher and the whole class often participates in the same activity at the same time.
In Reggio Emilia philosophy-inspired environments however, children are in charge of their own learning and topics emerge according to the things that interest the individual child. There’s no set curriculum with expectations for completion. The learning is child-directed as opposed to teacher-led and the curriculum is co-constructed by the child’s teachers, family, community and their environment.
There are no time limits for activities and the child’s knowledge journey is open-ended.
The poem suggests that traditional early learning schools are the perpetrators, restricting the child’s opportunities for discovery and self-expression because of their rigid methods of instruction.
The poem also points a finger at what it refers to as ‘the culture’ which may allude to the adults in a child’s life who don’t acknowledge the child’s capabilities for self-directed learning.
You can read the full poem here.
Exploration through play is at the heart of every Reggio-inspired environment where children are encouraged to creatively express their learning in multiple ways of playing, thinking, exploring, speaking and doing.
In Reggio-inspired early learning schools such as ours, children are encouraged to explore their natural curiosity in open-ended ways that stimulate their unique development journey. The educational programme in our safe, nurturing, non-judgemental and inclusive environment allows each child to learn at a pace and style that best suits their individual needs. If you’d like to discover more about Evoke Early Learning or our centres in Albert Park or Clayton, we welcome you to get in touch with us or book a tour. We pride ourselves on providing caring, nurturing and supportive environments for children and families and we’d love to meet you.
Understandably, you want to give your child the best start in life. And with overwhelming evidence pointing to quality early education as a crucial foundation for future success, choosing a child care centre could be one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.
You’ll find that while child care centres may look similar on paper, they can actually be quite different in terms of how they operate, what they offer and how they go about their daily routine.
The very best way to research various options and find a preference is to book a tour and visit the centre in person.
This article outlines key things you should look out for when you’re doing a tour and gives some suggested questions to ask. The centre will be taking care of your very precious cargo and setting them on a path for strong and healthy development, so you need to be completely happy and comfortable about where you enrol your child.
Ahead of your tour, it’s a good idea to jot down the things that you want from a childcare centre so that you can run through your checklist while you’re there. For example, you may want a certain child to teacher ratio, extended hours and aftercare or a specific educational approach eg Montessori or Reggio Emilia.
Ideally, you want to book your tour during school hours so you can get a good sense of the ‘feel’ and mood of the centre, how it operates and the interactions between the children and the staff. Is it a loving and nurturing environment? Do the children look happy and busy?
Trust your instincts, treat the tour as an interview and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.
Day care and early education centres vary significantly in size, from small groups run in private homes to larger purpose-built facilities operated by commercial operators with multiple properties. A tour will reveal whether you share the same values as the centre and whether it will match your child’s needs and your expectations.
The indoor and outdoor spaces of a child care centre tell an important story about the centre. Look at the resources available, whether there are different spaces set up for various activities, the amount of natural light and the overall cleanliness of the place.
Your tour will give you a good sense of the staff:child ratio, plus you should ask about the qualifications and experience of the team who will be caring for your child.
On your tour, look at what the children are doing. Are they all involved in the same activity or are there a whole lot of different things on the go? How do the child’s activities, the physical environment, resources and the educators combine to support each little person’s unique creativity, curiosity and wellbeing? Is their work on display anywhere? Ask about the daily curriculum and how the children are prepared for the transition to ‘big’ school.
During your tour, you should also discuss the following:
There are also practical considerations to discuss such as operating hours, after care services, the process when a child is unwell etc.
There are lots of ways you can research different child care centres, such as browsing their website, asking friends for recommendations and reading reviews and testimonials, but the very best way to get reliable information is by actually visiting the centre and forming your own opinion from your first-hand experience. At Evoke Early Learning, we always recommend that prospective parents book a tour of our early learning centres so that they can see our philosophy and approach in action and make an informed decision. We would love to show you our caring, nurturing and supportive environments and welcome you to make a booking directly with our Albert Park or our Clayton child care centre. Look forward to meeting you!
